Envelop-sealing machine.



P. R'USZKOWSKI ENVELOP SEALING MAGHINE.

APPLICATION FILED A-PR. 2, 1912.

1,072 2 2, Patented Sept. '2, 1913.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

W/TNESSES ATTORNEYS F. R'USZKOWSKI. ENVELOP SEALING MACHINE. APPLICATIONFILED APR. 2, 1912.

Patented Sept. 2, 1913.

6 SHEETSSHEET 3.

,IIIIIIHTIIHITIT WITNESSES ATTORNEYS COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH cogWASHINGTON. 1) cl P. RUSZKOWSKI.

ENVBLOP SEALING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 2, 1912.

Patented Sept. 2, 1913.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

r ilZ I/l/ r/l/Z i Z m w W0 J M h m 8 8 w W ATTORNEYS COLUMBIAPLANOURAPH 60.,WAsHlNuToN. n. c.

F. R USZKOWSKI.

BNVELOP SEALING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 2, 1912.

Patented Sept. 2, 1913.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

WITNESSES ATTORNEYS 5, to hold the arms in a vertical plane and FRANKRUSZKOVVSKI, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ENVELOP-SEALING MACHINE.

Specification of- Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 2, 1913.

Application filed April 2, 1912. Serial No. 687,993.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK R szKowsKi, a subject of the Czar of Russia,and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, in thecounty and State of New York, have invented a new and ImprovedEnvelop-Sealing Machine, of which the following is a full, clear, andexact description.

My invention relates to devices for moistening the gummed edges of theflaps of envelops and then closing and sealing the same; and itcomprises a certain novel and efficient combination of parts by means ofwhich an envelop after being put in the ma chine can be moistened andsealed by the movement of a single lever or handle in one direction,this movement serving to actuate all the intermediate mechanism by meansof which the operations of moistening and sealing are performed.

Referring to the drawings, which illustrate a preferred form of myinvention, the same characters of reference indicate the same parts inall the views.

Figure 1 represents a top plan of my sealing machine; Fig. 2 representsa side elevation thereof; Fig. 3 represents a vertical longitudinalsectional view of the same; Fig. 4: represents a similar view, showingthe parts in the position which they assume when the flap of the envelopis moistened; and Fig. 5 is a similar view, showing the parts in theposition they assume when the envelop is sealed.

My machine comprises a frame consisting of a pair of sides or ends 1, afront 2, and a back 3, the front being lower than the back, and the twobeing connected by an inclined plate 1, which forms a continuous surfaceto receive the envelops that are to be moistened and closed.

The sides 1 are each provided with central slots 5, and between thesides adjacent these central slots are supporting arms 6, of anyapproved form, which are provided with projections 7 passing through theslots 5, to-

be engaged by the operating mechanism that will presently be described.The supporting arms 6 are connected by means of a plate 9, which isinclined upward away from the plane of the arms 6, toward the upper edgeof the plate 1; and the arms 6 also receive screw bolts having headsthereon indicated at 8, which are attached to the arms 6 below theprojections 7, and pass through theslots prevent the arms 6 and theplate 9 from moving, except up and down, when the machine is in use.

The numeral 10 represents a pair of plates, one of which is arrangedadjacent the outer face of each of the sides 1, these plates beingsecured to the projections 7 at their front ends, and each having a pairof vertical slots 11 and 12 at their rear ends, these slots givingpassage to securing bolts 13 and 14:, respectively, which hold theplates 10 to the frame, but at the same time permit them to move up anddown in the course of operation. Each frame likewise has a diagonal slot15 formed in its lower forward corner, this slot being arranged about ina level with the lower end of the slot 12, as shown particularly in Fig.2.

Each of the sides 1 has a slot 16 formed therein and extending in adownward direction from the end adjacent the back 3 toward the front 2.This slot is of zigzag form, changing its direction three times in thecourse of its length, beginning from either end of the same, andit'serves as a guide for the movements of a trough 17, which is filledwith absorbent material, such as sponge, shown at 18. This trough isnor- ,mally inclined to be substantially parallel with the plate 4, andit has a conduit 19 formed along its upper edge to enable the ab.sorbent material 18 to be kept moist at all times, this conduit having anumber of apertures therethrough in the side with which the absorbentmaterial cont-acts, and having a nipple 20 at the middle of its lengthto enable a section of rubber tubing to be connected thereto. Thisrubber tubing is not shown on the drawings, but it may lead from anysource of liquid supply, such as a tank or hydrant, to keep theabsorbent material 18 moist at all times.

The numerals 21 represent leaf springs secured to the sides 1 andarranged to cushion the trough 17 by engaging the spindles orprojections 22 carried by the trough.

The ends of the trough 17 are closed, and from these ends project thespindles 22 above referred to, and longer spindles 23. The spindles 22and 23 at each end enter the slots 16, and the spindles 23 pass throughthese slots and far enough from the plane .of the ends or sides 1 toenable them to be engaged by an operating arm or lever 24:.

there are two, one adjacent each of the ends or sides 1, has an L-shapedslot 25 in its upper end to receive the spindles 23, and is pivotallymounted upon the adjacent side 1 by means of a bolt 26; and 27represents a headed bolt which passes through the slot 15 and into thelever 24, so as to connect the slotted plates 10 and the levers 24together.

28 represents operating arms mounted on the outer ends of a shaft 29secured in bearings carried by the sides 1 adjacent their forward uppercorners. To this shaft is also secured an operating handle 30, and theshaft likewise carries projections 31 at its opposite ends, which abutagainst projections 32 from the sides 1, to limit the return movement ofthe handle 30. The arms 28 engage the projections 23 and effect thedownward movement of the trough 17 the plates 10 and the levers 24simultaneously.

33 represent vertical slots adjacent the forward edges of the plates 1,and the numeral 34 represents an oblong plate having a. cushion ofrubber or other resilient material 35 secured to its lower face, andthis plate has upward-extending ears 36 at its opposite ends, whichreceive bolts 37 arranged one above the other and passing through theslot 33 to connect the oblong plate 34 to the frame and enable it tohave vertical movement therein. Normally, the plate 34 will be held inraised position by means of springs 39 secured to studs 38 projectingfrom the inner faces of the lugs 36 at one end and to studs 41 carriedby brackets secured to the inner faces of the sides 1 near their forwardedges at the other.

The plate 34 has standards 42 formed upon its upper face, and the topedges of these standards are engaged by arms 43 secured to the shaft 29in such a. way as to force the standards 42 and the plate 34 downward.As will be apparent from an inspection of the drawings the plate 34 isarranged parallel with the plate 4, so as to engage the envelop firmlyover the entire face of the same when the flap is to be pasted shut.

44 is an operating lever, one of which is secured to the outer face ofeach of the sides 1, and having on its outer end an anti-friction roller45. The levers 44 are pivotally mounted at their lower ends, as shown at46, and they are connected by means of links 47 to the lower ends of thelevers 24, so that the levers 44 and 24 move in unison.

48 represent cams carried upon the shaft 29 adjacent the inner faces ofeach side 1 and 49 represent the upper ends of a pair of sliding bars50. These sliding bars are secured to the inner faces of the sides 1 bymeans of slots shown at 50, and are provided with screw-threadedapertures to receive bolts which pass through these slots to hold thebars in place, and at the same time to permit them to have longitudinalmovement the same as in the case of the slot 33 and the headed bolts 37.At lower ends these bars 50 are pivotally connected to levers 51pivotally mounted upon spindles 52. These levers 51 form the ends of arectangular frame carrying rows of studs 53 and 54. The studs 53 arerabbeted at their upper ends, as at 55, and the longer sides of theframe of which the levers 51 form the ends, are indicated at 56 and 57.These longer sides 56 and 57 are in the form of bars, the ends of whichare rounded to form journals passing through apertures in the oppositeends of the levers 51.

Normally, the bars 50 are held in their uppermost position by means ofsprings 58 connected to a stud 60 on the bar 50 at one end, and to astud 59 on the inner face of the adjacent side 1 at the other. Theapertures in the plate 4 through which the studs 53 and 54 pass areshown at 61 and 62, respectively, and the envelop which is to be pastedshut is shown at 63.

The manner of operation of my invention will now be set forth: After put-ing the letter into the envelop 63 the same is laid upon the plate 4adjacent its upper edge,

the edge to which the gummed flap is attached being turned to the front,and the parts of the machine being in the position shown in Fig. 3. Theenvelop is pushed down until its forward edge rests against the studs 54projecting through the holes 62 in the plate 4, and the operating handle30 being located as shown in Fig. 2. The handle is then grasped by theoperator and turned to the rear; that is to say, in a counterclockwisedirection. This causes the arms 28 to engage the projections 23, movingthe trough 17 forward and downward and moving the plate 9 straightdownward. As a result, the edge of the gummed flap is moistened by theplate 9, pressing the gum in contact with the absorbent material 18.

This View of the parts is shown in Fig. 4;

and it will be apparent from the above description that when the arms 28engage the projections 23, so as to move the trough 17, the levers 24are moved to cause their upper ends to swing forward, and the bolts 27by their connection with the plates 10 through ,the inclined slots 15,cause the plates 10 to move downward. These plates are guided in theirmovement by the bolts 13 and 14, and thus the plate 9 is actuated insuch a way as to force the gummed edge of the flap of the envelopagainst the absorbent material. It will be noted upon reference to Fig.

4, that when the projections 23 have moved 1 into the lower ends of theslots 16, that is to say, when the trough 17, the plate 9 and the levers24 have reached the end of their movement, the arms 28 pass by theprojections 23 and come contact with the antifriction rollers 45. Justbefore this action takes place, the cams 48 engage the ends 49 of thebars 50, forcing the bars 50 downward and actuating the pivoted levers51 so as to withdraw the studs 54 from the holes 62, and at the sametime project the studs 53 through the holes 61 until the rabbeted ends55 lie flush with the top of the plate 4. The further movement of thehandle operates the arms 28 so as to turn the levers 44 and pull uponthe links 47 These links 47 move the levers 24 back to their originalposition, and these levers 24 push the projections 23 at the oppositeends of the trough 17 back to the u per ends of the slots 16, and at thesame time raise the plates 10, to lift the plate 9 until the projections7 are returned to the top of the slots 5.

The arms 28 ride over the anti-friction rollers 45 as they continuetheir movement, and before leaving these rollers the arms 43 on theshaft 29 come into position to depress the standards or uprights 42.This moves down the block 34; and it will be understood that as soon asthe trough 17 and plate 9 have been returned to their original positionsand the studs 54 are withdrawn, the envelop 60 will slide down along theface of the plate 4 until it is stopped by the studs 53. This positionof the parts is shown in Fig. 5. The cushion 35 carried by the plate 34comes into contact with the outer face of the gummed flap which hasbeenmoistened by the absorbent material 18, and pastes it to theenvelop, closing and sealing the same. The handle 30 is now pushed awayfrom the operator to its forward position, and the arms 28 in theirreturn movement will clear the rollers 45 and be arrested when theprojections 31 come into contact with the stops 32. This return movementof .the shaft 29 will rotate the arms 43 and cams 48, whereupon thesprings 39 and 58 will return the plate 34 and the bars 50 to theiroriginal position. The return of the bars 50 will withdraw theprojections 53 and move the-projections 54 through the plate 4 againstthe front or lower face of the envelop 63, tilting the upper edge of thesame. The envelop will therefore slide off the inclined plate 4 to makeroom for the next one.

It will be seen that the Zigzag shape of the slot 16 causes theinclination of the trough 17 to be changed when it is being movedforward. The forward edge of the same is first lowered when theprojections 22 and 23 strike the first steeper portion or slot, and thenthe rear edgevis lowered after the projections 22 and 23 pass thissteeper portion. The steeper portions adjacent the lower edge of theslot 16 are substantially parallel to the plane of the plate 9, and whenthe projections 22 and 23 reach the steeper portions at the lower endsof the slot 16, the gummed flap of the envelop will be clamped firmlybetween the moistening material 18 and the lower face of the plate 9over its entire extent, making the moistening operation most efficient.

From the above description it will be seen that all the operations ofmoistening and pasting shut the envelops'are carried out by a singlemovement of the handle 30, the movement of this handle toward theoperator, that is, toward the upper edge of the plate 4, serving both tomove forward and return the moistening trough and likewise to lower theplate 34 to paste the envelop shut, and the return movement of thehandle to its starting position serving to permit the lifting of theplate 34 and the withdrawal of the forward or lower row of studs toallow the envelop to slip off the plate and make room for the next one.

I wish to have it understood that the above description illustratessimply a preferred embodiment of my invention, and that I do not care tobe limited to the details shown and described, except in so far as thesame are expressly included in the accompanying claims.

- Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent:

1. In a device of the kind described, the combination of a frame, saidframe having slots formed in its ends, a trough containing moisteningmaterial mounted in said slots, an inclined plate carried by said frameand mounted to be movable toward the lower ends of said slots, asupporting plate to receive thereon the envelop to be sealed, and meansfor simultaneously moving said trough and said inclined plate to causethe moistening material carried by the trough to engage the gummed edgeof the flap of the envelop and press the same against said inclinedplate preparatory to closing the envelop.

2. In a device of the kind described, the combination of a frame havingslots formed in its ends, a moistening trough having absorbent materialmounted to be movable in said slots, an inclined plate carried by saidframe in front of said trough and mounted to be movable toward and fromthe lower ends of said slots, means for connecting said trough and saidplate, a supporting plate beneath said trough and said inclined plate toreceive the envelops to be sealed, and means for engaging and movingsaid trough fro-m one end of said slots to the other, whereby when thetrough is moved, the inclined plate will be lowered and the moistabsorbent material in the trough'will press the gummed edge of the flapof the envelop against said inclined plate preparatory to closing thesame.

3. In a device of the kind described, the

combination of a frame having slots in its ends, a molstemng troughcontaining absorbent material mounted to be movable in said slots, aninclined plate carried by said moistenedpreparatory to sealing theenvelop, and means oined to the means connecting the 1ncl1ned plate andthe trough and en- 1 gageable upon the further movement of the means foractuating the trough to return the trough and the inclined plate totheir original position.

4. In a device of the kind described, the combination of a framecarrying a supporting plate, a movable plate arranged upon the same andparallel therewith, said lastnamed plate having means connected theretofor holding the same spaced from the supporting plate, and a shafthaving operating arms thereon for reciprocating the second-named plateto force the moistened gummed edge of the flap of an envelop to besealed against the body of the envelop and close the same.

5. In a device of the kind described, the combination of a frame havingan inclined plate to receive and support an envelop to be sealed, arectangular frame mounted be neath said plate, said last-named framecarrying a row of studs along one of its longitudinal edges, thesupporting plate having apertures to permit the passage. of said studs,means connected to said rectangular frame for oscillating the same tomove the ends of said studs through said apertures to' engage the edgeof an envelop, means for moistening the gummed flap of the envelop whensaid studs are in such position; means for subsequently engaging andpressing down the moistened gummed edge of the flap of said envelop toclose the same, and means for operating the means connected to saidrectangular frame and the means for pressing down the flap of theenvelop.

6. In a device of the kind described, the combination of a frame havingan inclined plate to receive and support envelops to be sealed, the saidplate having a row of apertures therethrough, a row of studs arrangedadjacent said apertures, means for moving said studs to cause the endsto project through said apertures to engage the edge of an envelop andhold the same in position, resilient means for returning said lastnamedmeans, a plate for forcing down the moistened gummed edge of the flap ofsaid envelop to close the same, and means for operating said means formoving the {studs into engaging position and subsequently actuating theplate for engaging the flap of theenvelop to close the same.

7. In a device of the kind described, the combination of a frame havinga supporting plate therein to receive envelops to be seale said platehaving two rows of apertures therethrough, means mounted beneath saidplate to be projected through one row of said apertures to engage theedge of an envelop, means for engaging and moistening the gummed edge ofthe flap of said envelop, means for withdrawing the projecting means torelease the envelop, means located adjacent the second row of aperturesthrough said plate and connected to said last-named means to be moved toprojecting position when the means adjacent the first row of aperturesare withdrawn to engage the envelop after the flap of the same has beenmoistened, and means for subsequently forcing said flap against the bodyof the envelop to close the same.

8. In a device of the Kind described, the combination of a frame, meansfor supporting an envelop to be sealed in said frame,

means for holding said envelop in position,

means mounted in said frame and movable to engage the gummed edge of theflap of said envelop to moisten the same, means for returning themoistening means, means for arresting the envelop in position to beclosed, and means for subsequently engaging the moistenedflap of saidenvelo to force the same against the outside of the envelop and seal thesaid envelop.

9. In a device of the kind described, the combination of an oscillatableframe, an inclined supporting plate having openings therethrough, saidframe having means for projecting through said openings, and means formoving the frame to cause part of said projecting means to pass throughthe plate to arrest the envelop while the gummed flap thereof is beingmoistened, and then withdrawing the same and moving the remainder ofsaid projecting means through the plate to arrest the said envelop whilethe moistened gummed flap is moved against the body of the envelop, toseal the same.

10. In a device of the kind described, the combination of an inclinedsupporting plate having openings therethrough,said openings being spacedfrom one another, an oscillatable frame having projections to passthrough said openings, said inclined plate permitting the envelop toslide from the top edge of the same to the lower edge, means for rockingthe frame to cause part of the projecting means to arrest the envelopnear the upper part of the plate, means for moistening the gummed flapof said envelop when in such position, the means for rocking the frameserving to withdraw the first named projecting means and move theremainder of said projecting means through the plate to arrest theenvelop as it slides down the plate to the lower edge thereof, and meansfor engaging the said gummed flap when the envelop is in the last-namedposition, to press the same against the body of the envelo and seal thesame.

11. In a device of the kind described, the

combination of means for moistening the gummed flap of an-envelop,amovable member connected to said moistening means, a second movablemember connected to the first movable member, and an operating devicefor moving the moistening means and the movable members, said secondmovable member being mounted in the path of the operating means to beengaged thereby after the moistening means has been operated, saidmembers and said moistening means being so related that the movement ofthe second movable member by the operating means, after the latter hasmoved the moistening means, will return the moistening means and thefirst member to their original positions.

12. In a device of the kind described, the combination of moisteningmeans, a pivotally-mounted lever connected thereto, a secondpivotally-mounted lever connected to the first lever, and an operatingarm to engage and move the moistening means, said second lever beinglocated in the path of the operating arm after it leaves the moisteningmeans, said levers and said moistening means being so related to theoperating arm that the movement of the second lever when engaged by theoperating arm returns the first lever and moistening means to theiroriginal positions.

13. In an improvement of the kind described, the combination ofmoistening means, a pivotally-mounted lever having pin and slotconnection with said moistening means, a second pivotally-mounted leverconnected to the first lever, and an operating arm to engage and movethe moistening means, said second lever being located in the path of theoperating arm after it leaves the moistening means, said levers and saidmoistening means being so related to the operating arm that the movementof the second lever when engaged by the operating arm returns the firstlever and moistening means to their original positions.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANK RUSZKOWSKI.

Witnesses:

WVILLIAM F. NICKEL, FnANcIs X. WAZETER.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

